Electricians are nearly three times more likely to smoke, according to new public health data

  Posted by: electime      28th October 2024

Experts call on HR teams to encourage workers in the sector to consider smoking cessation to improve health

According to newly released data from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID), one in five employees in routine, manual, and service occupations in England smoke – 2.5 times higher than in any other industry and an 8 per cent increase compared to 10 years ago.

The startling figures reveal that routine and manual professionals are falling behind national trends for smoking cessation.

Smoking prevalence in manual roles means employees are 68 per cent more likely to smoke when compared to the average smoking rate in England. This figure has risen by 3 percentage points since 2022.

The data insights, collated by Vape Club, highlight the need for equal smoking cessation support for all in society.

Taking a look at the bigger picture, over the past decade, there has been a notable decline in smoking rates across various professional sectors. Manual labour industries have seen a significant reduction, with smoking prevalence dropping from 30 per cent in 2014 to 20 per cent in 2023, representing a 33 per cent decrease.

However, by comparison, employees across all other industries experienced a larger decline of 37 per cent during the same period, with rates falling from 12.5 per cent to 7.9 per cent on average.

Despite these overall improvements, the data shows that those in manual labour professions continue to have the highest smoking rates at 19.5 per cent, followed closely by the long-term unemployed at 15.3 per cent. While smoking has decreased across the board, the reduction in manual labour professions, while substantial, continues to lag behind other industries.

The government has set a target of reducing the number of smokers to 5 per cent of adults in England by 2030. To achieve this, encouraging manual workers to use smoking cessation methods will play a key role.

Which areas are workers in routine and manual industries impacted most by high smoking rates?

In Westminster, Wokingham and Croydon – the three worst-affected areas – people working in routine and manual roles are around three times more likely to smoke than the average person in England.

In all 20 areas with the highest smoking rates in such roles, the probability of these employees smoking is at least twice as high as the national average in England.

Dan Marchant, Managing Director of Vape Club, says:

“We know that people quitting smoking need all the help they can get: it’s far from easy. And we know just how effective smoking cessation tools like vapes can be. It’s vital that everyone has the same access to support and nobody in society is left behind.

“Falling rates of smoking are rightly celebrated, but we can’t ignore the kind of inequality this data shows. HR departments in routine and manual sectors have to step up and address the issue, offering people greater support to quit smoking.

“Any success they might have won’t just benefit individuals. After all, ex-smokers are usually healthier people, physically and mentally, than smokers. That means fewer days off and greater focus on their roles, so the business wins as well.”